WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Iraqi officials have asked US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to keep US troops in Iraq, the Wall Street Journal reported.

This came during meetings held by Pompeo in Baghdad and Erbil, after a surprise visit to Iraqon Wednesday, according to the newspaper "The Wall Street Journal."

The newspaper pointed out that "these Iraqi appeals come in the wake of the US decision to withdraw US forces from Syria," noting that "Pompeo's visit to Iraq reaffirms the nature of the challenge faced by the US administration in order to convince regional partners to the decision to withdraw US troops from Syria, Those forces in Afghanistan. "

"Trump's sudden declaration of withdrawal of troops from Syria has alarmed the allies," the paper said. "Hence, the Pompeo tour comes as an attempt to reassure the Allies."

The newspaper added that "Pompeo ignored a question to a reporter about the commitment of the United States to maintain a military presence in Iraq, but stressed that his talks in Baghdad were focused on the process of forming the Iraqi government ."

"Pompeo said that there has been real progress in Iraq since the elections and he believes that this will put the country and the region in a better place," the paper said.

During his surprise visit to Iraq, Pompeo met with the three Iraqi presidents: Adel Abdul Mahdi, Prime Minister, Barham Salih, President of the Republic, and Mohamed Halboussi, Speaker of Parliament, separately.

The Iraqi newspaper said: "Iraqi officials are concerned that any withdrawal of US forces from Iraq to create a vacuum may be exploited by the organization is calling, at a time did not rule out the Iraqi Prime Minister, Adel Abdul Mahdi, the deployment of Iraqi forces along the border With Syria, to fight the fighters of the organization calling the terrorist. "